Domestic violence survivors share their stories

Mar 13, 2017 News

– at Women’s Rights March

By: Feona Morrison

There were placards and chants galore as the Student Society Against Human Rights Violation (SSAHR) last Saturday participated in a march, held in observance of International Women’s Day (IWD). It coincided with similar marches undertaken by Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, The Bahamas, Grenada and Antigua & Barbuda on Saturday.
According to Akola Thompson, founder of SSAHR, the walk was inspired by #LifeinLeggings, a hashtag movement started by Barbadian Ronelle King.
The hashtag, aimed at highlighting women’s sexual assault stories, has gained much attention throughout the Caribbean.  The event kicked off at 15:00hrs.
Participants assembled at the Stabroek Market Square, where they donned white t-shirts labelled ‘Guyanese Girls Rock’.  With police escorts, the march, which attracted street side attention, turned east into Brickdam and concluded at Square of the Revolution with presentations from Thompson; domestic violence survivor, Natasha Houston; activist, Attorney-at-law Nadia Sagar and others.
A spoken word poetry piece, and martial arts defence techniques were also demonstrated.
Thompson, a third year student at the University of Guyana (UG) reminded that the march was aimed at bringing awareness to gender based violence and protection for women and children.

Akola Thompson (centre) leads the procession as it heads down Brickdam

Domestic Violence survivor, Natasha Houston

The activist also called for comprehensive sex education to be taught in public schools. She said that the SSAHR was created last year in an effort to promote university activism.
“I am turning 21 in a few days and I have a daughter who is turning five. Because I grew up in a society that condoned violence I never thought too much about it when my (then) partner used to abuse me. Even though I tried to leave…family and friends would have encouraged me to stay.”
“And you know that really needs to stop. At the time I had dropped out of high school, so of course he (then partner) would have been the provider. So they (family) would say maybe you should stay for the sake of the child. It was not until one night when I had a belt wrapped around my throat that I realized if I stayed…then maybe I wouldn’t be around to see my child. I decided to leave. It was very hard in the beginning but family and friends came around.”
Domestic violence survivor, Natasha Houston also shared her story. Houston’s abusive husband went berserk and slaughtered their two children with a cutlass in August 2013. She was also chopped several times about her body; and lost her right arm and several fingers on her left hand.
During her presentation, the survivor expressed her gratitude to  be alive. “Four years ago both of them (her children) got murdered…thanks to Help and Shelter for their support and thanks to my mom too. If it was not for their support I would have not been here today.”
Houston pleaded with women to get out of abusive relationships and speak out. The woman recalled that after her reputed husband chopped her and their children he hung himself because he could not deal with the consequences of his actions.
“At a young age I forsook my mom and my whole family to go with him. I don’t think young girls should forsake their families for boys. If I had listened to my mom, my kids would have been alive today. Every time he (reputed husband) hit me I would always cover for him. I always remained silent…I never told anyone what happened.”
However, Houston said that the day she mustered the courage and strength to leave the abusive relationship, her reputed husband retaliated mercilessly.
According to her, although she had endured abuse at the hands of her partner, she never made any reports to the police.  She pleaded with women to speak out against any forms of abuse. Houston repeated, “Like I said, if I had listened to my mom, my daughter would have been ten years this year and my son would have been six. But they were both murdered at the hands of their own father. Don’t take abuse speak out!”
Meanwhile, Sagar reiterated the importance of activism. She recounted that her first experience with activism was when she participated in a Working People’s Alliance (WPA) protest following the Omai Gold Mines Limited cyanide spill which occurred in 1995 when 400 million gallons of cyanide laced materials spilled into the Essequibo River. According to her, “Activism takes on a multitude of forms in a variety of socio, political and economic environments. It does not require a uniform; we are all activists on any given day.”
“Today you are standing for women and girls, girls like my daughter and I ask you to clear a path for her, and all of the girls who would grow up silencing themselves, smiling as they were taught to do, even as they wither inside,” and emotional Sagar said.
Recounting her early days as an attorney, Sagar stated, “I enjoyed the male gaze from colleagues and clients. Sexual innuendoes and lasciviousness were common place in the space that I worked. I sat in boardrooms as vagina and two breasts, an object. That was 20 or so years ago. Things have changed and so have I.”
This march was held in collaboration with the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) Red Thread, Child Link, Help and Shelter and a number of non-governmental organizations.